


Safe

by ThePurpleFrog



Series: Discipline/Safe [2]
Category: Dangan Ronpa
Genre: Abuse, Alternate Universe - Non-Despair, Child Abuse, Fluff and Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, even though they're sad anyways but you know, for real tho this gets so fluffy it's like that time i ripped the stuffing out of a plush poodle, like please don't read if that upset s you i dont wanna upset anyone, man that was hilarious my friend didnt talk to me for like a week after that
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-13
Updated: 2014-04-13
Packaged: 2018-01-19 07:07:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,752
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1460365
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ThePurpleFrog/pseuds/ThePurpleFrog
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A sequel to my other abuse fic, Discipline. <br/>Plot: Ishimaru has a nightmare where he remembers a time he was abused as a kid. Mondo wakes him up and comforts him. <br/>Non-Despair AU where they live together. Warnings for child abuse. Please don't read this if that really upsets you!!</p>
            </blockquote>





	Safe

Ishimaru was nervous today. Granted, he was nervous every day he would be getting a test back. He twiddled his thumbs, staring intently at the desk before him as if it were the most interesting thing in the room. I did fine, he told himself. I did fine, I did fine… 

But did he really? Ishimaru worked his hardest at everything but, truth be told, math was not his strong suit. So many different formulas and so many possibilities to mess things up. Math was unforgiving; a single number out of place or a comma mistaken for a period and you would be completely wrong. 

"Ishimaru." The teacher said gently, placing the test on his desk. "There’s always next time." Ishimaru felt his heart sink. What… what did that mean? He couldn’t have done bad… he couldn’t have…

Staring back at him at the top of the page in bright red ink was the number 76. 

That was all he could think about. 76. He had never done that terribly on a test before. 76… 76… that was awful! Completely unacceptable! How could he have allowed this to happen? How could he have been so stupid? He couldn’t help it; the tears began to stream down his cheeks. This was terrible, absolutely terrible! He would never be able to forgive himself for this. And even worse…

"Ishimaru?" The teacher asked. Ishimaru realized he was the only one left in the classroom, all the other kids had left as soon as their tests had been handed out. "Hey, what’s wrong?"

"I… I…" Trying to form words was making it even worse. What could he say to her? Nothing that happened was her fault; she was a teacher, doing her job to the best of her ability. It was his own fault for doing so badly on the test. 

"Is it this grade?" The teacher asked, pointing to the paper. Ishimaru hastily nodded, trying to wipe the tears from his eyes, only for more to appear. "Hey, it’s okay…" She said. "This was just a little test. Besides, you’re a stellar student in everything thus far-"

"But not anymore." Ishimaru interrupted. 

"You still are. Look, Ishimaru, everyone has their bad days. You’re still a wonderful student, even if you did bad on one test. Okay?" Ishimaru said nothing and continued staring dismally at his test. "And I’ll let you in on a little secret. This test? This tiny math test you took in the fifth grade? It’s not going to matter down the road. No one’s going to care. Alright?" She smiled at Ishimaru, who still looked gloomy as ever. But at least he wasn’t crying anymore. "If you want to stay after class for some tutoring, I’d love to help you."

"Not today…" Ishimaru finally said. He put the test in his folder and put it away. "I have to go home."

"Are you going to be alright? If you need a minute to calm down or something, it’s fine for you to stay longer."

"No, sensei. But thank you." He headed towards the door, and just as he was heading out, the teacher stopped him one last time.

"Remember what I said, Ishimaru. You’re really smart! Don’t let this test get you down. It’s not going to matter down the road."

"Okay…" Ishimaru replied.

"See you tomorrow, Ishimaru." 

"Goodbye." He left, and the teacher sat down to finish up some work. Truth be told, there was something about Ishimaru that had always worried her, and she wasn’t sure what it was. She had had students like him before: kids who were far too studious for being in elementary school, kids who had few friends and tended to be alone and keep to themselves. But with Ishimaru, there was something more that was bothering her. Maybe it was the way he was always trembling when getting a test back, or the way he tended to flinch when people moved around him, or the way he’d blame himself for everything even if it was completely out of his control. Maybe he was just skittish and self-deprecating… but maybe there was something more. She sighed and got to work, knowing that she really couldn’t do anything based on a hunch with little evidence. 

* * *

 

Ishimaru returned home begrudgingly. Truth be told, he didn’t want to go home. With a grade like that he’d be in for it, and it was his own fault. But he was scared. He didn’t like getting in trouble, even if he knew he deserved it. He took a deep breath, then opened the door and went inside. As usual, he was to announce his arrival.

"I’m home." Ishimaru said. His voice was quieter than usual. He was silently hoping that maybe his father would ignore it if he was quiet enough.

"Good afternoon, Kiyotaka." His father responded. He had been in the office, working on some paperwork. Ishimaru’s parents both worked long jobs; his mother was always there in the morning to wish him good luck at school while his father was always there at night to ask him how his day went. It made Ishimaru sad that the three of them could never be together at once, but that was just the way things ended up.

"Good afternoon, father." Ishimaru said, removing his shoes and placing them neatly at the entrance.

"How did school go?" Ishimaru felt nervous and hesitated. Should he tell his father now or try to hide it as long as he could? He sighed and figured he might as well get it out of the way. Then he’d have time to do all his other work and end this terrible day. 

"I got the math test back." Ishimaru couldn’t bring himself to make eye contact with the man and chose to look at the floor. 

"Oh? And how did that go?" 

"It… it, uh… I-" Ishimaru stammered. 

"Just show it to me." Ishimaru’s father finally said. Ishimaru nodded and pulled the folder out of his bag. He gave the test to his father and immediately looked away, nervously awaiting what was to come. "A 76?"

"Y-yes, sir." Ishimaru replied quietly. His father’s voice had been quiet, but he could hear the underlying fury. He was in for it, and he knew it; but he was still scared. 

"This is absolutely unacceptable!" He finally shouted. "I thought you had studied for this!"

"I did! I’m sorry, I don’t know what happened!" The tears sprung in his eyes again, and he backed up a little.

"Sorry doesn’t do anything!" His hand made contact with Ishimaru’s cheek, causing the boy to stumble a little. He was sure to stand up straight again; good posture was important, right? He remembered his teacher’s words and thought that maybe… he could explain this to his father better.

"I… I really am sorry. But my teacher! She said that I’m still a smart student! She said this test won’t matter later… so I’ll study hard and make it better!!"

"Won’t matter? If you’re stupid enough to believe that, then it’s no wonder you did so horribly!" He shoved Ishimaru against the wall, so he had nowhere to escape to. "Thinking that way will make you just like your grandfather! You don’t want that, do you?"

"N-no…" Ishimaru mumbled, trying to avert his gaze away from his father.

"Look at me when I’m talking to you!"

"No, sir!" Ishimaru shouted in response. The tears were streaming down his face now, and he was doing what he could to hold back his sobs.

"Good." His father replied, sounding suddenly calm. He looked at the test again and sighed. "It says here that you got six problems wrong."

"Yes… I’m sorry."

"You understand that you can’t let this happen again, right?"

"Yes."

"Six problems. So you must get punished six times, right?" Ishimaru said nothing and nodded. This was normal, he thought. One hit for each wrong answer.

One. Another slap to the cheek. 

I deserved this, he thought. Getting such a low grade is nothing short of despicable.

Two. A slap to the other cheek.

I need this, he thought, I need to learn my lesson. I need to learn to not make so many mistakes.

Three. A punch to the cheek. 

I cannot afford to be this lazy again, he thought. I can’t be like my grandfather… I just can’t!

Four. A punch to the stomach. This one sent him to the ground. 

I need to study harder, he thought. I must do whatever I can to make sure this won’t ever happen again. 

Five. A kick to the stomach. 

If I work harder, I’ll get better, he thought. Then my father will be proud of me, instead of just… stuck with me.

Six. A kick to the chest. 

He’s doing this for my own good, he thought. Because he loves me. 

* * *

 

Mondo awoke to the feeling of moisture on his chest. His tank top had become damp and uncomfortable, disturbing him from his otherwise peaceful sleep. At first, he thought it was a leak in the ceiling or something. But when his eyes adjusted to the darkness he realized it was Ishimaru. His head was resting on Mondo’s chest; this wasn’t unusual. The two of them often cuddled together while they slept. What was unusual was for Ishimaru to be sobbing against Mondo’s chest in his sleep. 

"H-hey!" Mondo said. He placed his hand on Ishimaru’s shoulder and shook him gently. "Wake up, Kiyo!" Ishimaru finally opened his eyes, and Mondo let out a sigh of relief. "Shit, Kiyotaka, are you okay?"

"Mondo?" Ishimaru asked, sitting up groggily. "What’s going on?"

"You were cryin’. Don’t ya feel it?" Mondo replied. 

"I’m really sorry, Mondo," Ishimaru said, rubbing his eyes, "I really didn’t mean to wake you up."

"Hey, it’s fine." Mondo said. "Did ya have a bad dream or somethin’?" Ishimaru thought about it for a moment. Did he? It was more of a normal dream about a normal day in his past. Did it even count as a dream? After all, it was something that had actually happened.

"I don’t know." Ishimaru finally replied.

"Oh… well, uh…" Mondo said awkwardly, not expecting that answer. Now he was thinking that maybe he shouldn’t have woken him up. After all, Ishimaru did cry a lot; both out of happiness and sadness. "At least you’re feelin’ better, right? Let’s go back to bed." He reached his hand out to stroke Ishimaru’s face. It was something he did a lot, especially when Ishimaru was crying.

Ishimaru saw Mondo’s hand getting closer and was reminded of his father’s, coming down to strike him for doing something wrong.

"N-no!" In a moment of fear he pushed Mondo away, nearly knocking him off the bed.

When Mondo sat up, he saw Ishimaru curled up, frightened, with his arms over his head as if trying to protect himself. Just by looking at his boyfriend’s trembling figure, Mondo could guess what Ishimaru had been dreaming about.

"Whoa, hey…" Mondo said. He wanted to hold him, to tell him it was alright, that whatever had been bothering him was gone now, but he figured it’d be best not to touch Ishimaru at the moment. "Look, I’m sorry, I’m not gonna touch ya." He waited as Ishimaru eventually calmed down, and when he finally looked up at Mondo his red eyes were filled with tears again.

"Mondo, I’m sorry!" He finally said.

"It’s fine. Are you okay?" Mondo replied.

"Did I hurt you? I’m really sorry, I got scared, are you okay?"

"I’m alright, Kiyo! Just calm down and tell me what happened, will ya?"

"I just… remembered something." Ishimaru replied, hesitantly. "Just a day in elementary school where I got in trouble for a bad grade. It’s nothing important. I don’t know why I’ve gotten so upset about it… please, don’t worry about me."

"If it made ya cry that much then it’s definitely not nothing!" Mondo argued. "What the hell did your old man to to ya?!"

"He just hit me a few times… once for each wrong problem. It’s not that big of a deal… I’m fine, really!" He smiled at Mondo, albeit weakly.

"Not that big of a…" Mondo trailed off. He clenched his hand into a fist and was too mad to even care about the sting of his nails digging into his palm. He wanted to yell, to scream about how fucked up that was, how no one deserved shit like that, how if he ever laid eyes on his dad he’d kill him. But he knew that yelling wasn’t going to help Ishimaru right now; for god’s sake, going to stroke his face had scared the shit out of him. For Ishimaru’s sake, Mondo kept his voice low. Or, as low as he could get it while he was angry. "That’s a huge deal, Kiyo! If ya make a mistake, all that’s expected is an apology. You’re not supposed to get the shit beat outta ya! What the fuck is wrong with him?!"

"Well, it was a really bad grade…" Ishimaru mumbled.

"Do you even hear yourself talkin’? You coulda gotten a goddamn zero and he still didn’t have the right to lay a hand on ya! God, it’s so fucked up!"

"I’m sorry…" Ishimaru bowed his head. "I’m really sorry."

"Don’t apologize! Just…" Talking about how fucked up it was wasn’t going to help Ishimaru either, especially if he was going to apologize for it. "Can ya tell me where he hit you?"

"Uh…" Ishimaru hadn’t expected that question and thought about it for a moment, before placing his arm on his stomach. "Here. Twice." He moved his hand up to his chest next. "Once here." Then he moved his hand up to his face. "And three times here. That’s all, Mondo, it really wasn’t that bad."

"I swear I’ll kill him." Mondo muttered under his breath.

"I’m sorry, what did you say?"

"Nothin’. Just… can I kiss ya?" 

"What?" Ishimaru flushed a little. "Of course you can, Mondo. Why are you asking?"

"Didn’t want to freak ya out again." Instead of kissing Ishimaru’s lips he leaned down, hiked Ishimaru’s shirt up a little bit, and rested his hand gently on the other boy’s stomach. "You said he hit ya here, right?"

"Yes. Well, technically it was a kick but that’s not really important." 

"That musta hurt." He kissed Ishimaru’s stomach a few times, causing Ishimaru to laugh and grip onto his hair. 

"Mondo, t-that tickles!" He said. Mondo figured that Ishimaru laughing was much better than him crying. He continued kissing up his stomach and chest, and finally backed away when he reached his face.

"Oi, can I, uh…" He couldn’t think of a normal way to put this. He wanted to cup Ishimaru’s face in his hands and kiss him, like he always did, but there was no way in hell he’d want to scare him again. "It’s just that, uh-" Ishimaru got the idea and kissed Mondo, wrapping his arms around his neck. Mondo pressed chaste kisses to Ishimaru’s lips and cheeks, then finally held him close, resting his face on Ishimaru’s shoulder. 

"Feelin’ any better?" He asked. 

"Yes, I am. I’m sorry for getting so upset, I-"

"Hey, no more apologizing." Mondo said. "Ya don’t need to be so freaked out around me, okay? If anything upsets ya, please just tell me." He pulled away so he could look Ishimaru face to face. "I love you."

"I love you too, Mondo." Ishimaru smiled, and it was real this time. 

They eventually went to bed again. Mondo decided to keep his distance and not cuddle with Ishimaru tonight, just in case. Just as Mondo was drifting off, Ishimaru spoke up.

"Hey, Mondo," he whispered, "can you hold me?" 

"Huh? Yeah, of course." Mondo replied sleepily. "C’mere." Ishimaru rested his head on Mondo’s chest and sighed happily. "Ya sure this is okay?"

"Yes. It feels nicer this way. I feel safe…" It didn’t take long for Ishimaru to drift off after that. It completely baffled Mondo that someone like Ishimaru could feel safe in his arms, but he was happy about it nonetheless. He pulled Ishimaru’s sleeping form closer to him and stroked his hair. 

"I’m gonna keep ya safe no matter what." Mondo whispered. "It’s a man’s promise." He fell asleep soon, and they spent the rest of the night comfortable in one another’s arms; without a single nightmare to disturb them. 


End file.
